BuoMAN und RiKTZ, Verdauungsrohr. 513 



js sliijlitly tlie broadest part; tlie lower end is atteimatcd. The edges are smooth, and there are only two shallow eniar- 

 ginations — one below and to the right side, the other on tlie upposite border and about the middle. In the undistended 

 State the spieen is fourteen inches long and varies from one to three inches broad. It is attached to the posterior wall 

 of the stomach by a duplieature of the gastro-splenic Omentum, which is from an inch and a half to two inches broad, and 

 riins down for two thirds the length of the spieen in the central line. Within this omental fold some seven branches of the 

 splenic artery and of the vein are conveyed to the gland in question; these divide into branches to the right and left sides 

 as soon as they reach its surface, so that there is little or no hilus lienis. The internal structure of the spieen is of the usual 

 trabecular character, and extraordinarily dilatable. Some enlarged lymphatic glands were observed on its attached or gastric 

 side; but no accessory splenules existed, such as Owex found in the Common Seal. 



The mesenteric glands lie upon the anterior and the posterior surface of the main trunks of the supcrior mesenteric 

 artery and vein. In all there are some six or seven of these glands; but they appear to form a continuous chain on either 

 side of the vessels spoken of. In front they are above six inches long. The upper part, dose to the root of the said vessels 

 and below the duodenal flexure of the intestine, is an inch broad; but they lessen in size, and rctain a nodulated character 

 as they foUow the course of the vessels dowiiwards; and near the iliac flexure of the intestine the lowermost gland forms 

 a Sharp turn or bend upwards and backwards. Behind they possess the same form, but without the lower curvature, which 

 is replaced by a separate small kidney-shaped gland. 



The surface of the mesenteric glands is traversed by innumerable parallel close-set white lines. These are chiefly 

 lacteal vessels, but they also have nervous filaments intermingled. Some of these lacteals appear to cross the gland entirely 

 and pass up towards the pancreas, but the greater number are derived from the mesenteric glands, and they follow the 

 course' of the arteries and veins. 



Pancreas. — Whilst injecting the vessels of the abdomen with a composition chiefly of size and colouring-matter, it 

 was observed that the pancreas became very much distended, but did not acquire the red tinge of the material employed. 

 This was caused by an Infiltration of the uncoloured fluid into the tissues of this organ, whereas the thicker colour was 

 retained in the vessels. As a consequence the dimensions, relations, etc. of the gland were altered, so that no approxi- 

 mation to the truth can be offered. 



Flower (1872) beschreibt die Digestionsorgane des gewöhnlichen Seehundes, PJioca vitulina, 

 als Typus der Pinnipedia in folgender Weise: 



„The stomach öf the seal is of very singular form (see Fig. 25), being elongated, tubulär, and sharply bent on itseU 

 at the junction of the cardiac and pyloric portions. The Oesophagus enters at one end by a wide funnel-shaped aperture; 

 but the pylorus has thick muscular walls and very contracted opening, apparently to prevent the passage of undissolved 

 fishbones into the intestine. The latter canal, as in most piscivorous animals, is narrow, simple, and of great length of the 

 body in the example dissected by Hunter. There is a short conical coecum, and a simple colon, considerably less than the 

 length of the body, the position of which is shown in the figure. The liver is dividcd into lobes in the same manner as in 

 the other Carnivora, but these lobes are partially subdivided by numerous notches an fissures, and their relations at the 

 attached or posterior border somewhat modified by the dilatation of the vena cava at this spot into an immense sinus. The 

 gall-bladder is present as in all Carnivora, but it is peculiarly curved, its fundus being directed to the upper surface, an not 

 the free edge of the Uver. There are usually two or three smaU hepato-cystic ducts entering the gall-bladder near its neck. 

 The common gall-duct has a considerable oval dilatation within the walls of the duodenum, into which the pancreatic duct 

 enters." 



„The visceral anatomy of the sea bears (Olaridae) and the walrus (TricMckidae) appears to differ but little from that 

 of the I'hocidae. The all have the same form of stomach, long narrow intestine, small coecum, and short simple colon." 



LiLLJEBORG (1874) erwähnt von der Anatomie der uns hier interessierenden Organe nur 

 folgendes : 



„Der Magen ist einfach, und der Darmkanal ist 7—28 mal länger als der Körper. Ein kurzer und weiter Blinddarm 

 ist vorhanden. Die Leber ist mehrzipfelig und besitzt eine Gallenblase." 



Camerano (1882) beschreibt mit folgenden Worten den Digestionskanal eines 51 cm langen 

 Embryos von Otaria jubata: 



„L'esofago misura m. 0,14G di lunghezza: esso e rivestito, come nell' adulto, di forti fibre muscolari cd e nel suo 

 intemo percorso da numerose ripiegature longitudinah, le quali si fanno piü spiccate a misura che si avvicinano allo stomaco. 

 La stessa cosa si puö dire pel rivestimento musculare esterno." 



,,Nella parte superiore dell' esofago si osservano numerose papille bianchiccie visibili anche ad occliio nudo. Quesfe 

 Papille corrispondono forse a quelle un pö piii svihippate che si osservano in vari altri mammiferi acquaiuoli.'' 



